The present invention relates to a heating and cooling system for a living space of a building.
The nature of heat loss and heat gain within buildings and, more particularly, living spaces of buildings is a complex relationship that is dependent on a number of factors including, by way of example, orientation of buildings, climatic conditions, building materials, building design, ventilation, and internal loads on buildings.
There is an increasing recognition that the use of heated and cooled air pumped into living spaces of buildings to artificially heat and cool buildings is costly in terms of capital and operating costs and is an environmental issue in terms of the use of fossil fuels.
Coincidentally, there is increasing interest in minimising the artificial heating and cooling requirements for the living spaces of new and existing buildings.
The present invention was made during the course of further research and development work in relation to an invention of a system for heating and cooling living spaces of buildings that is described and claimed in International application PCT/AU2006/000146 in the name of the applicant. The specification of the International application is incorporated herein by cross-reference.
The invention of the heating and cooling system in the International application is described and claimed as a roof assembly that includes a roof, a roof space in heat exchange relationship with at least a section of the roof, one or more than one first opening for airflow from the roof space to outside the building altogether to cool the building in “summer” conditions, and one or more than one second opening for airflow from the roof space to a living space of the building to heat the living space in “winter” conditions. With this arrangement, the roof section or sections are heated as a consequence of exposure to solar energy, air within the roof space is heated by heat exchange with the solar heated roof section or sections, the heated air is pumped from the roof space via the openings and, depending on the conditions in and outside the living space, is either pumped (a) into the living space to heat the living space or (b) from the building to effectively remove heat that would otherwise increase the temperature in the living space.
The term “summer” conditions is understood herein to mean that the temperature outside a building is higher than what would be regarded as a desired temperature in the living space of the building.
The term “winter” conditions is understood herein to mean that the temperature outside a building is lower than what would be regarded as a desired temperature in the living space of the building.
The heating and cooling system in the International application can also operate under “nocturnal” conditions to cool a living space in a building. In this context, the term “nocturnal” conditions is understood to mean that the outside temperature is lower than the inside temperature and the inside temperature is higher than what would be regarded as a desired temperature in the living space of the building. This situation arises particularly where there are significant temperature variations between night time and day time.
As is indicated above, the applicant has carried out further research and development work in relation to the above-described solar-based heating and cooling system, and the present invention relates to an invention that was made during the course of this work.